CATCHJSBUFORD

Client services is often the last thing entrepreneurs and business owners think about. As a society we pay our client services professionals the least. And many run from, obfuscate the process of dealing with complaints, just ignore them altogether, or commit the cardinal sin..... blame the person that was willing to point out an area that could be improved.

However, client services is like fertilizer in the soil. It is what makes everything else grow. Exceeding expectations builds your brand. Resolving challenges builds your customer loyalty. Being accessible and responsive, creates success stories filled with surprise and energy that eventually get passed on to others resulting in referrals.

*JuJuan Buford*

My First 90 Days Building a Wholesaling Business - Lessons Learned

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

(Unfettered, transparent thoughts off the top, absent veneer or grammatical sifting)

 

1. Take Imperfect, Informed Action.

It's easy to get caught up simply consuming information, just for the sake of consuming information.

Let me preface this, by stating I respect entrepreneurship, meaning I've learned that just because you've enjoyed success in one venture, it doesn't automatically translate into success in another. One of the biggest faux pas I've observed - specifically among the well educated or entrepreneurs who've never experienced a recession - is the willful ignorance people will display when starting a new business venture. 

Entrepreneurship is skilled trade, regardless of industry. Past performance never guarantees future results in business. Trust, if the industry is producing people who are earning six to seven figures with any regularity, there is a system at work. And no matter how intelligent, talented, or gifted you believe you are (at a certain level, all elite performers are talented and gifted), just like in sports, music, or medicine. Those who take shortcuts and don't respect the game they're playing, don't last long. The common denominator of success will always be practice and an unapologetic, fanatical work ethic. Think Allen Iverson vs. Michael Jordan.

That being said, if you're consuming information and not applying it, it's not training. It's just listening indefinitely. A confused, and fatigued mind does nothing. Learn, do, seek mentorship, review, rinse & repeat. The being is in the doing. Don't become preoccupied by perfection.  You cannot learn a new skill and not look a little awkward in the beginning. Don't be afraid of the dirt.

 

2. Embrace the Process

I average 100 dials a week... conservatively speaking. This is a part-time endeavor for me. Most people don't answer the phone, and I keep calling anyway. But I do not fall in love with a prospect. I spend 1/3 of my time following up, and another 2/3 contacting new people. I get hung up on a lot. I hear I'm not interested a lot. I hear I'm good, a lot.

I'm good? Personally, that is the most annoying response to a question that I can think of. Who wakes up saying to themselves, I just want to be good, ok, I'm getting by? Don't you want to be great! Apologies for the deviation.

I know that I'm searching for 1-2% of the entire real estate market. People who are highly motivated to sell their homes, due to a divorce, unwanted inheritance (crazy right?), financial distress, new job in another state, emotional detachment, tired of the maintenance, renting property not as exciting as anticipated, bad investment decision, etc., etc., etc., I'm looking for the person that is indirectly articulating, I'm ready to part with this right now, or very, very soon.

I've met with five potential sellers. One of them in particular, didn't really own the home. Can imagine doing Tiger Woods fist pumps in the air, and then realize they don't own the home? It was demoralizing for 15 seconds. It was a great reminder to not count the money until it's deposited. The others, were interested, not motivated. But it was great practice. Next week, I have a couple motivated people on deck. It's exciting.

Oh, people lie. And potential buyers, are often on some BS.com. Get connected with a mentor. 50% is better than 0%

 

3. Seek Out the Tour Guides, not the Travel Agents. & Be Honest About Your Intentions

People read a book, flip a couple houses, watch some YouTube videos, and now they're experts. Ok? Bird dog for others. Call up someone who has been buying and selling homes, and has experience in the wholesaling industry. The old brooms know the corners. And find out what they need assistance with or how you can save them time. Or simply by the them lunch. When you're grinding, you forget to eat often.

People know when you're simply looking at them as a transaction. They also know when you're genuinely interested in helping them find a solution to their challenges. Take the time to learn what their desired end result is. Why they truly desire that result? Be transparent about whether you can help them or not, and if you can't suggest a solution, or someone else they should talk to. Universal law is universal law in business, and in life.

 

4. Work Like Someone is Trying to Take Everything from You in the Windows of Time You Have Available

Because gravity is coming for you. People don't rehearse funerals or car accidents. They happen. Others, who lack competency are out here muddying the waters. You need to have audience with people, before the bs.com people engage them. And people who are very well financed are competing against you, or people who have more time, or who've lost a job, in jeopardy of losing their own homes, cars, and families. This ain't your granddaddy's economy. Job security is an oxymoron. And while unemployment numbers are down, underemployment numbers are skyrocketing, and wages have not changed in over 20 years. A lot of people are about to be displaced (a polite way of saying layed off or fired because of automation).

What does that mean. Yes, gravity - life events and more competition - is coming for you. If you only have 30 minutes a day, treat each minute like it's worth $200 a minute.

Listen to the tour guides' podcasts, videos, sound cloud recordings, constantly. You're swimming upstream. Listening to success stories, gaining insights about how you can improve your approach, and the impact of simply keeping your business top of mind, or being plugged in raises your awareness. The mind likes instruction and priming. And the universe has a way of rewarding vibrant movement and intense focus. The more active you are in your business, the luckier you'll become. I just randomly (but is it really random when you're calling 100 plus contacts a week) scheduled an appointment with two owners of apartment complexes.

The next 90 days are going to be fire.

 

 

JuJuan Buford is a Detroit native, entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of JSB Business Solutions Group, business development professional, and writer dedicated to helping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners establish thriving enterprises, achieve financial independence, and build lives of satisfaction.

Follow him online here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jujuan-buford-25997a2a
Follow JuJuan Buford on Twitter: @JSBUFORD
Learn, Ask Questions, Review Actionable Content at: https://www.facebook.com/catchjsbuford/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small Plate - Instead of Attempting to Manage Time. Try Priorities & Fulfillment.

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

How many times throughout the week, or day for that matter have you thought to yourself, I don’t have enough time? We’ve all been there. You get caught up in feelings about seemingly never getting enough done, failing to make enough progress, and the anxiety of whether you’re waking up early enough despite a 5:00am alarm setting. And at some point, in an effort to right the ship you may do a deep dive into time management apps, strategies and devices, or the latest greatest hack. 

And in a couple of months, if not weeks later, you’re feeling deflated again because the same issue keeps rearing its ugly, strength sapping head. Once again, you’re feeling like there is never enough time in the day. At its worst, these feelings eat away at your confidence; you may begin to compare yourself to others, and even question whether you deserve your current lot in life. 

Here’s the thing. Time management is an oxymoron. We all have the same 24 hours in the day, and time is the great equalizer. You can’t buy more time, change it, manage it, or bargain with it. So, what are people doing differently, who seem to have their stuff together?

The difference of course, is the value we pour into each hour. But what does that really mean?

Value = Our self concept determines how we carry ourselves and what our priorities are; in turn dictating what we do or behaviors we consistently exhibit with the time we have; and when we master our behaviors and align them with our priorities that’s when the magic happens. 

But that’s easier said than done. And if you’re still left scratching your head about what to do next, here are a couple recommendations to help re-calibrate some things, find new energy and rekindle your passions, and stop falling into time management trap. 

 

NETWORK & SPEND TIME WITH OTHER ENTREPRENEURS

Entrepreneurship is hard. Especially in the beginning, because you’re going to have to expend a lot of energy and do some things that you’re not going to be compensated for, in order to be compensated for things you no longer have to do in the future. It’s the ugly duckling stage of your business.

As an entrepreneur you’re swimming against the tide. 98% of the people you encounter aren’t committed to financial independence and being the captains of their own ships. They’re interested in being accommodated, renting their lifestyles, and taking as many steak, egg, and grape juice selfies on Instagram as possible. In other words, they don’t want the things you want, and if you’re about being an entrepreneur, you more than likely want (and you're willing to sacrifice for) different things than everyone else. 

Join an organization, chamber of commerce, or networking initiative that puts you in the room with entrepreneurs that are leveling up. Ask questions. Learn from their triumphs and failures. Be open to constructive criticism from others who are playing the same game. Network and build relationships with people who have your solutions, not your problems.  

next opportunity social might be a good place to start. Wink. 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA IS A TOOL. YOU DON’T LIVE AND WIN THERE.

Every time you find yourself drifting onto some social media site for a momentary (it always lasts longer than its supposed to) excursion, instead identify a podcast or video featuring content that will help you along your entrepreneurial journey. Don’t be too finicky. I personally listen to podcasts and consume content from real estate investors, anything and everything Warren Buffet, Robert Kiyosaki, Grant Cardone, Viceland with John Henry, YAP, Side Hustle Nation, etc., etc., 

When you discover entrepreneurs who are enjoying the success you’re pursuant upon, eat the fruit and spit out the seed. Consume what’s for you, and dispense the rest. At the end of the day the game is the game. Define your value prop, invite people to learn about it, lean in and ask them to make a buying decision, service them very well, and rinse and repeat. Some of the most effective tactics I employ today, were a result of listening to or observing others. 

 

READ A BOOK. LEADERS ARE READERS.

Be voracious about consuming content that will make you a better communicator, better at understanding arbitrage, more empathetic, edify your self concept, and feed your strengths. The super-majority of successful, elite entrepreneurs who are at the top of their game read two to four hours daily. You don’t have time you say…. You don’t have time not too. Don’t be the entrepreneur that spends three years learning something, that a book could teach you in a couple hours. 

I’m going to step aside, for Grant Cardone to speak with you: 

 

& 

Russell Sarder: 

 

3 THINGS BEFORE YOU LAY YOUR HEAD DOWN TO SLEEP

Write down the top three (if you’re just getting started) or five tasks whereas if you accomplished them tomorrow, would make the biggest difference in your life. This exercise is useful because it will force you to really take inventory of what priorities are most important to you, as opposed to being directed by everyone else’s agenda. 

Don’t write down ten items because even if you accomplish 4 of them, you’ll still feel some kind of way about yourself. Also, when making substantive changes in your life you want your focus to be less like a light bulb, whereas your energies are being dispersed everywhere. You want to be like a laser emitting concentrated energy to pulverize the obstacles in your way. 

Also, consider for a moment. If you write down three items on your priority list and you accomplish two of them, that’s a winning percentage. If you write down five tasks and accomplish three or four of them psychologically you’re still winning. Even if you had 100 other items on the to do list, you still moved the ball forward by addressing the things that mattered most to you. Momentum is a game of building on small victories that increasingly feed your confidence. 

You’re not going to get this exercise right in the beginning. Think about it like starting a new exercise routine. It hurts some in the beginning because you’re using muscles that you may not have used frequently before, if at all. However, after a week, three weeks, or three months later this evening routine will become as habitual as walking. You’ll measure your productivity based on how effectively you’ve addressed the things that matter most to you; welcoming the sense of achievement you’re enjoying, and begin to get excited about tackling increasingly more difficult (profitable) goals.  

 

JuJuan Buford is a Detroit native, entrepreneur, business development professional, and writer dedicated to helping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners establish thriving enterprises, achieve financial independence, and build lives of satisfaction.

Follow him online here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jujuan-buford-25997a2a
Follow JuJuan Buford on Twitter: @JSBUFORD
Learn, Ask Questions, Review Actionable Content at: https://www.facebook.com/catchjsbuford/

YOU Are the Best Thing About We Do & We Need Your Opinion. Will YOU Help Us?

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

 

 

Thank YOU for participating with NEXT OPPORTUNITY SOCIAL. We hope that you had as much fun attending as we did organizing it.

At the end of the day............IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU!
YOU the aspiring or established entrepreneur are the best and most important thing about what we do.

In an effort to curate and deliver events and initiatives that are salient, important, useful, and serve your interests, needs, expectations, WE NEED YOUR HELP!! This is your opportunity to TELL US what topics and content are of most import to YOU. That's right, YOU are being invited to be a fellow curator of the NEXT OPPORTUNITY SOCIAL experience.

Please fill this quick survey and let us know your thoughts (your answers will be anonymous, unless you desire otherwise)

 

START BY CLICKING THIS LINK - SURVEY

 

 

 

JuJuan Buford is a Detroit native, entrepreneur, business development professional, and writer dedicated to helping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners establish thriving enterprises, achieve financial independence, and build lives of satisfaction.

Follow him online here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jujuan-buford-25997a2a
Follow JuJuan Buford on Twitter: @JSBUFORD
Learn, Ask Questions, Review Actionable Content at: https://www.facebook.com/catchjsbuford/

 

 

 

It's easy to get caught up. Fighting for a thing. Fighting over a thing. About a thing. But it doesn't serve you nor the world, to be fighting over things that are broken.

POVERTY. FIGHT OR FLIGHT. OVERCOMING A SURVIVAL STATE OF BEING

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

There are no shortage of articles and vlogs speaking to the virtues of the wealthy versus the poor and the proletariat in general. And I’d be lying if I didn’t consume my fair share of the content. Afterall, who doesn’t want to level up and achieve financial independence regardless of your station in life?

However, what is often lacking is closer inspection of the costly behaviors exhibited by those who are struggling with financial solvency, encountering challenges growing their businesses, or simply taking the next step required to transcend their circumstances. One of the most debilitating landmines that detonates the best laid plans of the best of us, and all too frequently the lives of people living subsistence lifestyles is the fight or flight mindset.

What is the fight or flight mindset, and why is so necessary to overcome it.

 

 

 

JuJuan Buford is a Detroit native, entrepreneur, business development professional, and writer dedicated to helping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners establish thriving enterprises, achieve financial independence, and build lives of satisfaction.

Follow him online here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jujuan-buford-25997a2a
Follow JuJuan Buford on Twitter: @JSBUFORD
Learn, Ask Questions, Review Actionable Content at: https://www.facebook.com/catchjsbuford/

Why Next Opportunity Social - Origination Story

 

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

 

JuJuan Buford is a Detroit native, entrepreneur, business development professional, and writer dedicated to helping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners establish thriving enterprises, achieve financial independence, and build lives of satisfaction.

Follow him online here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jujuan-buford-25997a2a
Follow JuJuan Buford on Twitter: @JSBUFORD 
Learn, Ask Questions, Review Actionable Content at: https://www.facebook.com/catchjsbuford/

Personal Ruminations - Business Inspiration & Mindset

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

There are moments of doubt. Fatigue. Your sense of purpose is still there. But the rewards seem to be decreasing. It may even seem joyless or boring for a period. Gasp. Sometimes you have to ask different questions? That will require a different kind of thinking. It's time for you start growing again.

 

 

 

JuJuan Buford is a Detroit native, entrepreneur, business development professional, and writer dedicated to helping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners establish thriving enterprises, achieve financial independence, and build lives of satisfaction.

Follow him online here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jujuan-buford-25997a2a
Follow JuJuan Buford on Twitter: @JSBUFORD 
Learn, Ask Questions, Review Actionable Content at: https://www.facebook.com/catchjsbuford/